Interlocking-fastener construction



h 3 G. E. PRENTICE 1,795,395

INTERLOCK ING FASTENER CONSTRUCTION OriginalFiled April 28, 192

177 vs /7 fat.

n9 6.? $321.1 7% M w Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES EDWARD PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT,

hm'rnnnooxme-rasrnnnrt GONSTRUCTION Original application filed April 28, 1924,

My invention relates to improvements in interlocking fastener construction, of the form involving the use of series of mating devices arranged respectively along the opposed edges of material in the form of fabric, leather, or rubber or the like and which edges may define the borders of a gap or opening in a garment, shoe, or container and which devices cooperate to permit of readily closing and opening said gap or opening, a slide preferably being used to manipulate the interlocking fastener devices, several forms of fastener device and slide being shown in my application filed April 28, 1924, Serial No. 709,643, (Patent No. 1,724,311, dated April 13, 1929) of which this is a division. In the present instance, I have illustrated the invention as embodied in an interlocking fastener device in which the fastener elements of each of the two mating devices constitute parts of a coil spring of substantially circular or cylindrical form devoid of any special shaping or swedging of the convolutions, together with a desirable form of slider to cooperate therewith.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of fabric strips or stringers having edges opposed and provided with interlocking fastener elements that are operated by a slide, the series of elements on each of the respective fabric strips being parts of a single coil spring. 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing a few of the interlocking fastener elements in the engaged position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing convolutions in a plan view and in the interengaged position, :the fabric being shown diagrammatically.

Figure 4 is an edge view of the slide.

My improvement in interlocking fastener construction involves the use of interlocking fastener elements that are mounted on the Serial No. 709,643. Divided and this application filed July 10, 1925. Serial No. 42,801. i

Said springs comprise the left spring 12, i

at the left in' Fig. 1, and the right spring 13.

The slide 14 is mounted on said springs 12 and 13 for lon 'tudinal movement for conveniently bringing the springs into the interengaging position and for releasing the same, the parts of the springs below the slide being interengagedand the parts above the slide being disengaged.

The overhanging active interengaging portions 15 of the two springs 12 and 13 follow substantially the lines of arcs of circles and differ only one from the other on the two sides in the detail that involves the one im portant difference betweenthe two springs,

in that one is wound right-handedand the other is wound left-handed.

The coils are wound in open coil form and the spaces 16 between adjacent active portions 15 are such as to provide a good fit for v the material of the active portions 15 of the mating spring. The convolutions of each spring are all substantially alike with substantially uniform spacing and the two springs are substantially alike with the exception noted above that one is of left hand and one of right hand pitch. Since these open coiled helical springs are threaded into strips of fabric which are inelastic and substantially inextensible, the springs can not elongate to any appreciable degree. Thus when the convolutions of one spring are forced into the spaces between convolutions of the opposite spring the resulting resilient frictional pressure of the convolutions one opposed edge. portions of fabric or the like/'iipon another'constitutes a suflicient means In t e structure that is shown, the fastener that define the borders of a gap in a garment,"

and in fact is to the best of my knowledge the sole means for resisting separation of the opposed series of elements.

In use, the active portions 15 on the two sides overlap one another and intermesh or interlock so that, with accuracy in spacing,

a positive holding effect is produced against mounted.

The slide 14 is made of sheet metal; has an upper or front plate and a rear plate, designated by the character 18, and which are similar and positioned in spaced relation; said plates being connected by a neck 19 in the form of a U-shaped or return bend structure; said neck having the opposed arms 20 provided with perforations that are in registration for receiving a rivet-like structure 21 that, as shown, is in the form of a cotterpin having an eye 22; and a disc-like handle 23.

The slide 14 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced outlets 25 at the u per portion, each of which is an operative t for and cooperates with one or the other of the individual springs 12 or 13.

Flanges 26son the outer edge portions of the plates 18 define the outer walls of the passages for the springs and at the lower end of the slide 14 they define the mouth 27 that is an operative fit for the two springs12 and 13 in the interengaged position.

The handle or finger piece 23 isprovided with a perforation for effecting a pivotal connection with the eye 22 of the rivet-like structure or cotter-pin 21.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In interlocking fastener construction, opposed edge portions of material bordering an opening or gap, coil springs threaded into said material and each having parts of the convolutions opposed to parts of the other spring, and said springs being of open coil form with the spaces between adjacent convolutions such as to provide a locking eifect for the material of the mating spring when positioned within said spaces.

2. In interlocking fastener construction as described in claim 1, a slide mounted on said springs serving as means for bringing said parts into locking engagement and for unlocking the same.

3. In interlocking fastener construction, a slide having opposed plates that are swaged to cooperate to provide divergent channels, arms supporting said plates and connected by a return bend structure, means for limiting the outward spacing of said arms, opposed portions of the material of said-E- arms having 0 enings in registration, said means being in t e form of a rivet-like structure that is entered into said openings and having an eye, and a handle connected to said eye.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fastener member having 'transverse teeth resiliently connected in a series longitudinally of said member and a cooperative fastener member having a series of teeth, the teeth of said cooperative member adapted to be received between and held by the teeth of 'the other fastener member when the fastener is closed, and means adapted to hold said members in such relation to each other that fastening pressure progressively applied longitudinally of said series isadapted to cause the teeth of one member to engage between the teeth of the other member with resilient gripping efi'ect longitudinally of said members. f

5. A fastener of the class described comprising a pair of stringers and an open coiled helical spring secured to the edge of each stringer, all of the convolutions of each spring being substantially alike and each convolution being attached to its respective stringer, those portions of the convolutions of the opposite springs which project beyond the edges of the stringers being adapted toengage with each other to oppose separating stress.

6. A fastener device comprising a pair of helical springs forming opposite edges of a gap or opening, all of the convolutions of each spring being substantially alike, the convolutions of one spring being adapted to enter between the convolutions of the other when the fastener is closed, the interengagement of the springs with each other constituting the sole means for opposing separating stress.

7. A separable fastener comprising a pair of stringers, an open coiled helical wire attached to the edge of each stringer, all of the convolutions of both wires being substantially alike, the convolutions of one wire being adapted to enter between and to interengage with the convolutions of the other wire, thereby to oppose separating stress, the direct engagemenz of the convolutions of one of the wires wit-'1 those of the other constituting the sole means for opposing such stress.

8. A fastener device comprising a pair of helical open coil springs forming the opposite edges of a gap or opening, substantially all of the convolutions of each spring being substantially alike, the springs being of 0pposite pitch, and means preventing substantial elongation of the springs, the turns of one spring being adapted to enter between the turns of the opposlte spring, the interengagement of the springs with each other constituting the sole means for opposing separating stress.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE. 

